The United States Golf Association (“USGA”) provides five (5) regulations to keep golf balls consistent. Specifically, the golf ball must weight no more than 1.62 ounces and measure no less than 1.68 inches in diameter. The initial velocity of the ball as test on a USGA machine at a set club head speed must not exceed 255 ft/sec. The overall distance of the ball as tested with a USGA specified driver at 160 ft/sec and a 10 degree launch angle must not exceed 296.8 yards. And the ball must pass a USGA administered symmetry test. Within the confines of these regulations, other performance characteristics of the ball, including distance, durability, feel, spin, sound, etc., may be modified through alterations in material compositions, constructions, diameters and/or thickness, and surface configurations of various portions of the ball, such as the core(s), cover(s), and intermediate layer(s) therebetween. Other physical, mechanical, chemical, and/or optical properties of the portions, including color stability, compression, density, flexural modulus, gas or vapor permeability, hardness, stiffness, tear resistance, weight, etc., may also be affected by these alterations.
Various portions of a golf ball, including cores, centers, outer core layers, intermediate layers, inner cover layers, and outer cover layers, are usually formed through a molding method. Suitable molding methods known to one of ordinary skill in the art include, but are not limited to, compression molding, injection molding, reaction injection molding (“RIM”), casting, or combinations thereof. A process common to these molding methods is the removal of flash or overflow attached to the molded golf ball portion that is generated during the molding process. Due to the random nature of the flash/overflow formation, and the fact that the flash/overflow volume of a golf ball mold is not filled completely to ensure quality and consistency of the molded portion, the shape and dimension of the flash/overflow are irregular and inconsistent. This in turn makes it difficult to remove the flash/overflow automatically. Conventional method of removing the flash/overflow is manual (by hand), which requires direct labor input, increases manufacturing cost, and reduces production rate. Manual removal of the flash/overflow may also inadvertently contaminate the surface of the molded golf ball portion. For example, the loose fragments of the flash/overflow may come in contact with the molded golf ball portion, adhering to or cured to the portion. Such contamination adversely affects the quality of the molded golf ball portion and the final product formed therefrom.
Therefore, a need exists for an automated method and apparatus to remove the flash/overflow from the molded golf ball portions effectively, efficiently, and reliably.